The image a main character portrays defines every story from the begining to the end. The main character in the book The Song of the Solomon is a wealthy black man named, after his father, Macon Dead. Although Macon was more often refered to as Milkman by his whole town. Milkman grew up in the small town of Mercy. He was the only son in a family of two girls. Milkman oftern disagreed with his two sisters, Lena and Corinthians, since he was born as a way of revenge toward his father and they were so much older than him.
Milkman had a hard life even before he was born. Throughout his whole life only one thing remained the same; that someone always wanted him dead. It first strted with his father, Maon Dead, trying to klill him while he was still in his mother, Ruth's, womb. Milkman always seemed to survive any of these attempts. His aunt Pilate even said; "He come in this world tryin to keep from gettin killed. Layin in your stomach, his own papa tryin to do it.And you helped the same too. He had to fight off castor oil and knittin needles and being blasted with hot steam and I don't know what all you and Macon did. But he made it."
Milkman was born into a rich, esoteric family. the first time Milkman realized that his life was destined to be messed up beyond his control was when he learned how he got his nickname. He got the name Milkman because his mother breast fed him up to the age of six. Milkman all throughout his life felt like a ghost. He felt like someone that no one noticed or cared about. He began to think that no one would ever care for him for who he truly was. At one point in the book the narrator says; "He wondered if there was anyone in the world who liked him. Liked him for himself alone." Milkman at one point thought he found that someone in his girlfriend Hagar, but later he found she would just be out to kill him too.
Milkman always felt out of place in his smalll town since he was never concerened with the views that the other black men in his community shared. At one point the narrator even says; "He turned around to see where everyone was going, but there was nothing to see except their backs and hats pressing into the night." All of them felt cheated and discriminated against. Milkman being wealthy and accepted by the whites because of his wealth never shared these feelings. The narrator even says; "He couldn't get interested in money. No one had ever denied him any, so it had no exotic attraction. Politics, at least barber shop politics and Guitar's brand, put him to sleep. The city was boring. The racial problems that consumed Guitar were the most boring of all. He wondred what they would do if they didn't have black and white problems to talk about."
Milkman grew up resenting his father for many reasons. He disapporved of his father's ongoing violence, disowning of family members, and for being greedy and selfish. Later, Milkman would find that he became the walking image of his father. He would become more concerened about wealth and power than others' feelings, just like his father. Later, he would even go on a crazy hunt to find his aunt's gold so him and his best friend Guitar could be rich and leave their crummy town.
Milkman is a strong young man who grows into his worst nightmare. He would realize he was his nightmare when his sister says; "You think because you hit him once that we all believe you were protecting her. Taking her side. It's a lie. You were taking over, letting us know you had the right to tell her and all of us what to do." He was born itno the world fighting the ghosts of his mother's past. The same ghosts that would forever mark his reputation adn ruin his family's name. In a way Milkman's last name Dead is ironic coinsidering he spends his whole life feeling that way. He feels dead to everyone and belives his town is dead with discrimatory feelings.
Milkman had a hard life even before he was born. Throughout his whole life only one thing remained the same; that someone always wanted him dead. It first strted with his father, Maon Dead, trying to klill him while he was still in his mother, Ruth's, womb. Milkman always seemed to survive any of these attempts. His aunt Pilate even said; "He come in this world tryin to keep from gettin killed. Layin in your stomach, his own papa tryin to do it.And you helped the same too. He had to fight off castor oil and knittin needles and being blasted with hot steam and I don't know what all you and Macon did. But he made it."
Milkman was born into a rich, esoteric family. the first time Milkman realized that his life was destined to be messed up beyond his control was when he learned how he got his nickname. He got the name Milkman because his mother breast fed him up to the age of six. Milkman all throughout his life felt like a ghost. He felt like someone that no one noticed or cared about. He began to think that no one would ever care for him for who he truly was. At one point in the book the narrator says; "He wondered if there was anyone in the world who liked him. Liked him for himself alone." Milkman at one point thought he found that someone in his girlfriend Hagar, but later he found she would just be out to kill him too.
Milkman always felt out of place in his smalll town since he was never concerened with the views that the other black men in his community shared. At one point the narrator even says; "He turned around to see where everyone was going, but there was nothing to see except their backs and hats pressing into the night." All of them felt cheated and discriminated against. Milkman being wealthy and accepted by the whites because of his wealth never shared these feelings. The narrator even says; "He couldn't get interested in money. No one had ever denied him any, so it had no exotic attraction. Politics, at least barber shop politics and Guitar's brand, put him to sleep. The city was boring. The racial problems that consumed Guitar were the most boring of all. He wondred what they would do if they didn't have black and white problems to talk about."
Milkman grew up resenting his father for many reasons. He disapporved of his father's ongoing violence, disowning of family members, and for being greedy and selfish. Later, Milkman would find that he became the walking image of his father. He would become more concerened about wealth and power than others' feelings, just like his father. Later, he would even go on a crazy hunt to find his aunt's gold so him and his best friend Guitar could be rich and leave their crummy town.
Milkman is a strong young man who grows into his worst nightmare. He would realize he was his nightmare when his sister says; "You think because you hit him once that we all believe you were protecting her. Taking her side. It's a lie. You were taking over, letting us know you had the right to tell her and all of us what to do." He was born itno the world fighting the ghosts of his mother's past. The same ghosts that would forever mark his reputation adn ruin his family's name. In a way Milkman's last name Dead is ironic coinsidering he spends his whole life feeling that way. He feels dead to everyone and belives his town is dead with discrimatory feelings.